Boys to Men
by Aspire2B
Summary: After the war, both went back to the respective duties. However, things are beginning to change between them and if this war been good for anything it's getting stubborn people to realize what is truly important. ShikamaruxTemari post chapter 699


She raced through the trees outside of Konoha village. These were her most exciting trips. After the war everything had changed but somehow she had eventually returned to her role as ambassador of Suna. However, Shikamaru was no longer her guide. He had been elevated to the status of ambassador himself after Kakashi had taken the title of Hokage. So, even though he no longer greeted her at the gates with that annoyingly attractive and totally faked bored expression she knew he was sitting in the tower waiting for her.

As much as she would deny it to her acquaintances, things with the shadow user had changed steadily after the war. Yes, in her mind she could confidently say that after her first trip here as ambassador she began to look at him differently. Eventually, her curiosity turned into admiration with lead to… She shook her head furiously. There were signs, she could not deny that. He stared at her a little longer than he used to and he would regularly and unnecessarily touch her arm and hands. However, this was Shikamaru. His stares could easily be summed up to him spacing out. The real Shikamaru was much more difficult to read than the one in her dream. Heat rose up to her face and she remembered every aspect of the perfect life she had imagined herself living.

Nevertheless, she was going to meet him now and she wasn't going to think about what could have been. She always arrived one day earlier than the other ambassadors so they were completely by themselves. Opening the door as quietly as she could, it took everything in her not to laugh at the sight in front of her. He was sitting at a desk covered with large stacks up paper, chewing a pencil and looking as if he would rather be listening to Ino rant about her love life. Out of nowhere he let out a frustrated yell and that was all it took for her to lose it.

Tears rolled down her face as she bent forward, clutching the door handle for support. When she finally got a hold of herself she saw him trying his damndest to look unimpressed. The quiver on the left side of his mouth gave him away though.

"Ambassador is not worth the title is it? Need an extra set of hands for that paper work?" There it was again. His eyes smiled, never looking away from her face as he nodded. Clearing her throat, she went over to the desk and pulled up a chair. Ever since the Shinobi Alliance, the amount of trade negotiations had been staggering. With past disputes now just that, in the past, everyone was eager to rebuild their villages. A larger demand for foreign trade meant never ending for all the ambassadors. It didn't take long for her eyes to become sore. As she reached for the next stack of papers her hand was caught by the man across from her. She eyed him calmly, absolutely refusing to make him aware of her furiously beating heart. "You really want to do this stack too?"

"No," he quickly and blatantly denied. With much effort she tore her eyes away from his hooded black ones. She stared at their hands. "Do you want to get out of here?" Shikamaru wanting to get out of work was nothing new, but attempting to leave after only an hour was not characteristic. Even though she didn't condone his laziness the temptation of spending time with him some place other than a work setting made her nod in agreement.

"What did you have in mind?"

Of all the places she thought he would take her, the Nara clan's forest was on the bottom of the list. She had only been here once before, when Shikamaru's mother had forced him to invite her over for dinner. So, she was vaguely familiar with the main pathway that was beset with deer. Instead of the main road though he had gone off the trail and they were now walking through unmarked territory. He hadn't said much but the silence was comfortable. Not to mention, she was completely fascinated by the amount of plant species in the forest which Suna would have no hope of growing. No, her sand ridden home land was good for three things sand, sunsets and the people.

"-Mari… Temari…" Her brief reverie was interrupted. She raised her chin to look at his face. When had he gotten so much taller than her? His questioning expression was doing awfully wonderful things to the butterflies in her stomach.

"Um…Yes?" He let out a large sigh and rubbed the side of his face in exasperation.

"You really weren't listening at all were you?"

"You're spaced out at the best of times. Don't get out my case for daydreaming," she quipped hotly. His demeanor changed as he leaned in towards her.

"What were you dreaming about?"

"I- uh…Suna," she stammered, a pink flush painting her cheeks. He stiffened.

"You miss it? You only got here an hour ago," his tone held disbelief and…worry? She had no idea how she was going to say this. If she thought too much about it she would probably end up saying nothing at all. Was that really worse than the inevitable word vomit that would surely result if she opened her big mouth now?

"No it wasn't about that, it was more about what it is." He looked confused, as was to be expected. She took a deep breath, "I know this is going to sound traitorous and horrible but it's just not the same. Before the war I loved Suna, I still do, but its different now. The world is so much bigger than it was. And…everything isn't just about Suna anymore. My brothers too, they don't need me like they used to. They're both adults now… I guess war does that doesn't it," she chuckled humorlessly, "turns boys into men," and women into spineless cowards she thought.

"Maybe it's a good change though?" Her head shot up. She finally took in where they were. It was a small clearing filled with small wild flowers and willow trees, whose branches swayed lazily in the summer wind. She searched his face for any signs of joking and found none. The only thing that had changed was the tips of his ears, which were now red. "Look, I had this whole life planned out for myself. I was going to get by with the least amount of effort. Marry an average woman and have a daughter and son. Then watch my children become successful and die of old age before my wife." She couldn't say she was shocked but it still hurt like hell. This was just Shikamaru and she was obviously not someone who was associated with words like 'effortless'. To her utter horror she felt her eyes well up with unshed tears. "I don't want that anymore," he concluded.

Her heart did a one eighty as she clung onto a small shred of hope. "Well," he continued, "I don't want to first bit anyways. It's a drag but it looks like I won't escape work, jounin was farther than I had ever wanted to get and look at me now. And," he took in a deep inhale, reaching out for hands which hung uselessly at her sides, "it seems impossible that I would marry an average woman when I've fallen for the most aggravatingly troublesome girl I have ever met." Everything in the small clearing was silent for a few agonizing seconds.

"But…When did you…you never," she faltered. An incredibly warm and pleasant feeling was taking root inside her. And she fought back those tears with all of her will.

"Obliviousness doesn't suit you Mari," he murmured before closing the distance between them. It was everything she had dreamt of in the infinite tsukuyomi, dare she say better. With this she knew she was done for. In spite of herself the tears rolled down her face. His hands, cupping her face, swept them away gently. When they broke apart, both were flushed.

"Well, this makes everything complicated," she managed to say. But she found herself doubtful. Did it? She had basically came clean and admitted that she was unhappy in Suna because he wasn't there. Then he had gone and, beyond all of her wildest dreams, confessed.

"The only way this becomes complicated is if you're unsure about this, if I've made you uncomfortable by being in love with you…if you don't feel the same way." His dejected voice made her miserable and furious at the same time. He was supposed to be the genius here! How could he not notice that she had practically been in love with him since their childhood, even if she had not known it herself? She couldn't find her voice to yell at him after everything so she stomped forwards and grabbed him by his black turtleneck, forcefully crashing her lips to his in a kiss that was all fire. The air hummed as the two tried to convey their thoughts in a wordless battle. Struggling for breath as she chocked on her next words,

"Obliviousness doesn't suit you either Nara. How can you be so slow? I've been in love with you for years! I'm miserable when I'm in Suna. I can't go back. But I don't belong here and I don't belong there either, I'm stuck in the middle." He smiled at her widely,

"Women are always over complicating things. Why can't you belong here? You know the village and the people; your brother is best friends with the future Hokage. But if you don't belong here… then I don't either." Her eyes widened comically. There was no way Shikamaru could be anywhere but Konoha. The image of him anywhere else was wrong. He wouldn't be himself anywhere but in a grassy field looking up at the clouds. Was he truly willing to leave all of this, Konoha, behind for her?

"I guess one thing I said was right." His head tilted to the side, eyes prompting her to explain. "War really does turn boys into men."


End file.
